Pistol course, no problem

Pierce College offers a one-day basic pistol course as part of their non-credit program, Pierce Extension, and has since 2008 but members of a local neighborhood council want it removed from the campus.

Considering that nothing has happened in the five years that the course has been held on campus, there doesn’t seem to be a real need to relocate it.

Removing a gun safety course from our college campus is not going to make the place any safer.

The instructor has been providing the course at Los Angeles Harbor College as well and similar gun courses can be found at Glendale City College.

Some members of the Woodland Hills – Warner Center Neighborhood Council, the same group that got the Heritage Days Civil War reenactment removed from Pierce, want the course removed because the basic pistol course involves unloaded firearms that they feel should not be present on college grounds.

The course has been at Pierce for five years with no incident, why is this group just now is raising concerns about it?

Some of the reasoning behind this is presented in a letter addressed to Pierce President Kathleen Burke-Kelly, including that the sight of a gun on campus might cause alarm among those unaware of the course.

But the class is held in a room with a locked doors and windows that are covered from outside eyes.

The letter also mentions that Deputy Al Guerrero was unaware of the course offering, but the instructor of the course told the Roundup that he checks in with the Sheriffs and that they are aware of the unloaded guns that he brings onto campus.

The Woodland Hills – Warner Center Neighborhood Council sounds as if they are a group of NIMBYs, which stands for “not in my backyard.” They might have the interests of their neighborhood in mind, but their role in the decisions of Pierce College should be limited.

Removing a gun safety course from our campus because a NRA certified instructor will be using unloaded guns to demonstrate how to properly handle and maintain a gun seems a bit excessive.

If anything is to be done, a written policy outlining the procedure for introducing such a course should be drafted and voted on.